Switch for cash-carriers



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

H. THOMAS.

SWITCH FOR CASH CARRIERS.

No. 367,121. Patented July 26, 1887..

f orney 2 sheets-sum 2.

'(No Model.)

H. THOMAS.

SWITCH FOR CASH CARRIERS.

Patented July 26, 1887.

Z WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORATIC THOMAS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO THE BOSTEDO CASH AND PACKAGE CARRIER COMPANY, OF ATLANTIC, IOWA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,121 dated July 26, 182 7.

Application filed August 14, 1886. Serial No. 210,911. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORATIO THOMAS, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches for Cash and Package Carrier Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in switches for cash and package carrier systems.

In Letters Patent No. 330,553, granted to L. G. Bostedo, on November 17, 1885, a switch was shown and described for switching the cars or baskets in store-service apparatus from the one or main track at the cashiers desk onto the branch track or tracks leading from the oneor main track tothe branch stations. In-the switch there shown a car was provided with a laterally-extending plate or projection adapted to engage one arm of a bent lever just before the car reachedthe switch, and thereby cause the opposite arm of the said lever to close the swinging section ofthe track and guide the car onto the branch track, the said car automatically opening the switch, af ter passing, by contact with a lever projecting from the side of the branch track and connected' with the swinging-track section.

The object of my present inventionis to provide an automatic switch both for guiding cars from branch tracks onto the one track leading to the cashiers desk or ultimate destination, and also for guiding the cars from the one track onto the one or more branch tracks, which switch shall be self-lockin g both in its open and closed adjustments. I

WVith these ends in view my invention con sists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent a forwardingswitch in open and closed adj ustment, respectively; and Figs. 3 and 4 represent a returningswitch in open and closed adjustments.

A represents the main forwarding-traclgand A the main retnrningtrack'; B, the branch forwarding-track, and B the branch returning-track.

. E projects.

The ends of the branch tracks of the forwarding-track adjacent to the main tracks are each provided with swinging track C, hinged to the ends of the branch tracks in any wellknown or'approved manner. The branch tracks, a short distance from their ends, are provided with elongated slots D, through which one arm of eachof the operating-levers The operating-lever E is a twoarmed angle-lever, pivotally secured at F to a projection on the branch track orothersuitable support and adapted to rock in the plane of the tracks. The swinging-track section C is provided with an operating-arm, G, rigidly secured thereto and extendingtherefrom along the branch track to the angle of the lever E, to which it is loosely secured by a pin or stud,e, set in the side of the lever and adapted to engage an elongated slot, 9, in the end of the 0p- 7o crating-arm. Thus, when the arm 6 of the lever E, which, when the switch is closed, extends toward the main forwarding-track A, is thrown forwardly by a car moving in the direction of the arrow, the lever IE. will be rocked from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1, and will carry with it the end of the operating-arm G, and thereby swing the section 0 open and allow the car to pass. Again, a car approaching the switch from the branch track B will engage the end 6 of the lever E, which, when the switch is open, protrudes through the slot in the branch track, as shown in Fig. 1, and will thereby rock the lever E into the position shown in Fig. 2, and through the medium of the operating-arm G will close the swinging section C, and allow the car to pass onto the main track. At the point where the car from the branch track crosses the main track the latter is 0 grooved, as shown at f, to allow the passage of the flange on the car-wheel.

A double-acting spring, H, consisting of a round or flat strip of spring metal bent at the middleportion into the form of one or more 5 loops, has its ends attached, respectively,to the lever E and the operating-arm G, its tension being such that when the lever E is thrown to open the switch the spring will tend to hold'it open, and when it is thrown to close the too switch the spring will tend to hold it closed, the swing of the lever having the effect of throwing itpast center with respect to the tension of the spring.

In the returningtrack represented in Figs. 3 and 4 the free end of the operating-arm G projects through the slot D in the branch track B, and when the switch is closed protrudes sufliciently far to engage the car passing in the direction indicated by the arrow, and is thereby thrown back into the position shown in Fig. 4, and the switch thereby opened. A lip or shoulder, in, formed at its end, prevents it from passing out of the slot. The double-acting spring 11 here, as in the former instance, tends to lock the switch in both open and closed adjustment, the swing of arm G having the effect of throwing it past center with respect to the tension of the spring H. One end of the spring is in this instance secured to the arm G and the other to the track or other suitable support. The switch in this instance is closed by the car approaching it on the main track, in the same manner as set forth in the patent hereinabove referred to, a twoarmed lever, N, substantially as described in said patent, being so located that the car will rock it and force the swinging section 0' toward the main track in time to receive the car.

A car to be returned on the main track would be so constructed that it would not engage the lever N, and hence the switch would remain open for its passage.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a switch for cash and package carriers, the combination, with a main track, a branch track, and a swinging-track section secured to the branch track, of a lever for actuating the swinging-track section and a double-acting spring adapted to lock said swingingtrack section in both open and closed adjustments.

2. In a switch for cash and package carriers, the combination, with a main track, branch track, swingingtrack section, an operatingarm extending from the swinging section along the end portion of the branch track, and a lever engaging said arm and adapted to be moved by the car, of a double-acting spring having one of its ends secured to the operating-arm and adapted to lock the swingingsection in both an open and closed adjustment, substantially as set forth.

3. In a switch for cash and package carriers, the combination, with a main track, branch track, a trackseetion secured to the branch track in swinging adjustment, and an operatingarm extending from the swinging section, of an operating-lever connected indirectly with the swinging section and adapted to project outwardly from the side of the branch track when the switch is open and across the path of a car on the main track when the switch is closed, substantially as set forth.

4. In a switch for cash and package carriers, the combination, with a main track, abranch, a swinging-track section, and an operatingarm extending from the swinging section along the end portion of the branch track, of a twoarmed operating-lever pivotally secured between the main and branch tracks, one arm extending through a slot in the branch track and the other arm being adapted to swing across thepath of a car on the main track,substantially as set forth.

5. In a switch for cash and package carriers, the combination, with the swinging-track section and its operating-arm, of the angle'levcr in connection with the operating-arm, and the double-acting spring connecting the lever and operating-arm, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IIORATIO THOMAS.

Witnesses:

L. G. Bos'rnno, BENJAMIN F. STRAUS. 

